US cable firms welcome Netflix as TV viewing shifts

New York

A GROWING number of US cable operators are forming alliances with Netflix Inc, a shift that is helping the streaming pioneer add customers as its largest single market matures.

No 3 distributor Charter Communications Inc is expected to make Netflix available through its set-top boxes, joining more than a dozen top US pay television operators adopting a model first rolled out in Europe. Some US providers could start selling the streaming service as part of their Internet and video packages.